Alcohol and Health Health Article

Alcohol and Health

Alcohol is a central-nervous-system depressant that affects judgment, coordination, and inhibition. Mild alcohol intoxication causes a relaxed and carefree feeling, as well as the loss of inhibitions. After several drinks a person will exhibit impaired judgment, poor coordination, and slurred speech, while consumption of alcohol in large amounts can lead to coma and even death. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measurement of the amount of alcohol in a person's blood. Most states consider a person to be legally drunk at a BAC between .08 and .10. At a BAC level of .40 to .50, a person may go into a coma, while a BAC level of .60 to .70 will cause death.

Alcoholic beverages can be divided into three categories: beer, wine, and distilled spirits. Beer includes beer, ale, and malt liquor; wine includes wine,

champagne, wine coolers, and vermouth; and examples of distilled spirits are gin, rum, vodka, and whiskey. Alcohol provides no vitamins or minerals, only calories. Small amounts of alcohol are absorbed from the mouth, approximately 20 percent is absorbed in the stomach, and the remaining 80 percent is absorbed in the small intestine.

About 7 percent of Americans abuse alcohol or suffer from alcoholism. Alcoholism can be identified through four symptoms: (1) a craving or strong urge to drink alcohol, (2) not being able to stop drinking, (3) physical dependence, and (4) tolerance. Physical dependence occurs when an individual depends on the presence of alcohol to function normally. Tolerance occurs when the same amount of alcohol results in a lesser effect; therefore, more alcohol must be consumed in order to feel the same effect. Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism in that it does not include a strong craving for alcohol, the loss of control over one's drinking, or physical dependence. Individuals may have a problem with alcohol abuse if they exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: work and money problems, drinking while driving, being arrested due to drinking, exhibiting violent or aggressive behaviors, or continuing to drink despite the problems that result from drinking.

Alcoholism

Although there is a debate among experts over whether alcoholism should be considered a disease, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recognizes alcoholism as a disease. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced by a person's genes and lifestyle behaviors. Alcoholism is a chronic disease that lasts for a lifetime. If diagnosed and treated early, however, alcoholism may be completely cured and severe complications prevented. Chronic alcohol abuse increases a person's risk for developing serious health problems, such as liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer (especially cancer of the esophagus, mouth, and throat), and pancreatitis.

Approximately two million Americans suffer from liver damage caused by alcohol abuse. About 10 to 20 percent of heavy drinkers will develop cirrhosis of the liver, which is characterized by scarring of the liver and causes irreversible damage. If heavy drinkers do not stop drinking, cirrhosis can cause poor health and, ultimately, death. In addition to cirrhosis, heavy drinkers may suffer from chronic liver disease or alcoholic hepatitis.

Damage to the liver can lead to problems with blood sugar levels. When alcohol is present in the body, the liver works to metabolize it. Because the liver is busy metabolizing alcohol, it is often not able to adequately maintain blood sugar levels, which may result in hypoglycemia (low levels of blood sugar). Hypoglycemia is most likely to occur in individuals who have not maintained an adequate diet. When it occurs, the brain is not able to receive the energy it needs to function, and symptoms such as hunger, weakness, headache, tremor, and even coma (in severe cases) may occur.

Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to poor nutritional status. Chronic heavy drinkers do not eat adequate amounts of food because of the high caloric content of alcohol. This prevents them from getting the required vitamins and minerals to maintain health and well-being. Furthermore, when a person consumes large amounts of alcohol, it impedes or halts the digestion of food, as alcohol decreases the secretion of digestive enzymes from the pancreas. Alcohol also inhibits the absorption of nutrients into the blood. This decrease in digestion and absorption over a long period of time can lead to malnutrition.